Instagram taps photo community for quirky Herb Lester city guides

Herb Lester's city guides feature unusual photos from Instagram's community

Louvre, Paris. Taken by @alistair_wheeler

St. James' Park, London. Taken by @tschang

Barbican Centre, London. Taken by @londonlivingdoll

Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin. Taken by @berlinstagram

Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum, Berlin. Taken by @brainyartist.

Paris. Taken by @laviematerielle

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The travel guides focus heavily on design, and use Instagram photos that depart from the usual travel photography.

Herb Lester and Instagram approached selected users, then paired their photos with suggested destinations to create the guides. One Instagram user, @brainyartist, has created a Berlin mini-series called "#peopleinniches# which shows passers-by standing in doorways and other framed spaces around the city.

Co-founder of Herb Lester, Jane Smillie, said: "This is a real first for Herb Lester and has allowed us to create something that is not only unique, but really considers how people are becoming more and more excited by Instagram every day."

Instagram is stepping up its activity with brands, opening up ad slots in the UK last week and, in this instance, getting its community of photographers involved. Waitrose, Starbucks and Cadbury's are among the first brands advertising on Instagram in the UK.